


Don't You Forget

by ladyhoneydarlinglove



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M, Spoilers, kink meme fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-12
Updated: 2013-07-12
Packaged: 2017-12-19 05:39:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/880065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyhoneydarlinglove/pseuds/ladyhoneydarlinglove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reiner's going native, and Bertholdt isn't quite sure what to do about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't You Forget

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the snk kink meme. Prompt was: Reiner's going native.

“You need to talk to him.”

Bertholdt looks up from his potato peelings, frowning. “Talk to who?”

“Reiner,” Annie says. Her arms are crossed and her face is set in a deep scowl. “He’s been socializing again.”

“So?” Bertholdt returns to his peeling. “There’s nothing wrong with that.” Nothing wrong with interacting, he means. It’d look strange if they kept to themselves all the time; Reiner is only keeping his cover.

“Bertholdt,” Annie snaps, and Bertholdt sighs.

“If you’re so worried about it why don’t you talk to him?” he asks.

“He doesn’t listen to me,” she grumbles. “But he will listen to you. Talk to him.”

“Annie, I think you’re overreacting.”

“He took Eren, Armin and Connie out last night and snuck into town. And have you seen the way he acts at meals? He’s getting too friendly with them, and he needs to stop.”

“We’re supposed to be getting friendly with them,” Bertholdt reminds her. “Besides, you and Eren are always having those private fighting lessons. How is that any different?”

“I haven’t forgotten my goals,” Annie says dismissively, but Bertholdt doesn’t miss the tinge of color that touches her cheeks. “And I can act. Reiner can’t. Whatever affection he has towards these people is mostly genuine and we can’t have that. Talk to him and make him see sense, or I’ll beat it into him.”

It’s an order, one Annie doesn’t give Bertholdt a chance to dispute before walking away. Bertholdt heaves a sigh and wonders when he became responsible for holding this mission together.

He finds Reiner when he’s done peeling the potatoes, pulling him aside much to the disappointment of the comrades he was wrestling with. A few of them raise their eyebrow and make lewd jokes, and Reiner laughs and tells them to knock it off in good-natured tones. He’s still smiling when Bertholdt feels they’re secluded enough to talk, and he thinks that maybe Annie was right; Reiner is getting too close.

He tells Reiner as much, so blunt that Reiner stares at him for several seconds before frowning. “What are you talking about?” he asks. “I’m just trying to keep our cover. Or does Annie want me to mope around and not talk to anybody like she does?”

“She wants you to remember why we’re here,” Bertholdt says. “She thinks you’re losing sight of goal, and I can’t say that I disagree with her.”

“What?” Reiner’s eyes narrow, his fists clenching at his sides. “That’s ridiculous. I haven’t forgotten why we’re here anymore than you.”

“Then why are we here?”

“To destroy the walls and end humanity,” Reiner answers. He manages to hold Bertholdt’s gaze for only a few seconds before it shifts in the direction where Reiner was earlier, and Bertholdt almost punches him.

“You care for them,” he accuses. Color floods Reiner’s face and Bertholdt is sure that not all of it is from anger.

“I’ve grown more accustomed to them then I was originally planning,” Reiner admits through clenched teeth. “But I’m not the only one. You think Annie hasn’t gotten attached either? How many times has she dragged Eren off for—”

“I know,” Bertholdt cuts him off, scowl just as deep as Reiner’s. “But at least she’s only done it with one person; you’ve managed to form a bond with the entire training corps!”

“They trust me!” Reiner hisses. “How is that a bad thing?”

“It wouldn’t be if you didn’t trust them too!” Bertholdt snaps. “These are our enemies, Reiner! You can’t forget that!”

“I haven’t forgotten anything!” Reiner protests, but his gaze shifts again. Bertholdt makes a rough noise and grabs Reiner by the neck, forcing Reiner to look at him.

“Reiner, listen to me,” Bertholdt says, voice low and laced with threat. “You cannot start caring for these people. We’re here to destroy them, and if they find out what we really are, they will destroy us without a second thought. You think Eren will be so happy to see you when he finds out you’re half the reason his mother is dead?”

Reiner doesn’t answer, only continues to glare at Bertholdt. “Remember why you’re here,” Bertholdt orders. “Because if you can’t, we’re going to have to get rid of you.”

It’s an empty threat—Bertholdt couldn’t hurt Reiner anymore than he could cut his own head off—but unlike Reiner, Bertholdt can lie, and he can do it well. Reiner’s eyes widen and his jaw goes slack. “You wouldn’t,” he says, but the waver in his voice betrays his fear.

“Then don’t test me,” Bertholdt answers. _Please_ , he doesn’t say. _Please don’t make me hurt you._

The air between them is suffocating in its silence, and it doesn’t lift even when Reiner spits out, “Fine. But tell Annie if I’ve got to back off then so does she.”

Bertholdt sighs and lets go of Reiner. “Okay,” he agrees.

Reiner begins to walk away, but after a few steps, he pauses. “Bertholdt,” he says.

“What?”

Reiner turns back to look at him, and there’s some strange emotion on his face that Bertholdt can’t name. “How do you do it?” he asks, as good an admission as any.

Bertholdt’s brow furrows; the real answer isn’t one he’s willing to share. Maybe one day, when all this is over and they finally have some peace, but not now. “Whenever they talk about titans, pretend that they’re talking about you,” he suggests. “And see how long your affections last when they start to say how they’d like to slice you into pieces and watch you burn.”

He turns away, leaving Reiner to stare after him. Bertholdt’s heart is heavy and dark, beating painfully inside his chest as he forces down his real reasons for managing to keep distant. For another day, he thinks; a day when he isn’t in the middle of a world where everyone wants to kill him. 

_Reiner, why would I need anybody else when I have you?_


End file.
